1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mounting device for mounting a cable-operated window regulator for a vehicle which includes one or more cables for raising and lowering a window glass of a vehicle window such as a tailgate window, a back window or a side window, and is especially suitable for a tailgate window, a back window or a side window.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the case of mounting a cable-operated window regulator for vehicle which includes one or more cables for raising and lowering a window glass of a vehicle window such as a side window, a tailgate window or a back window to a side door, a tailgate or a back panel, none of the conventional mounting devices for mounting such a cable-operated window regulator are constructed to be capable of temporally mounting the window regulator before securely mounting the window regulator in place in a side door, a tailgate or a back panel. Accordingly, an improved mounting device for mounting the cable-operated window regulator which is capable of temporally mounting the window regulator to facilitate assembly is desirable.
When mounting the cable-operated window regulator onto a tailgate, the cable-operated window regulator is mounted to the tailgate with the tailgate already attached to a car body, rather than being mounted to the tailgate in a state before the tailgate is attached to a car body. On the other hand, when the cable-operated window regulator is mounted to a back panel for a back window, two people are used to perform a mounting operation in which the window regulator is mounted to the back panel from the outside of the vehicle without stepping into the vehicle for the sake of facilitating assembly. In each of these mounting operations in which the cable-operated window regulator is mounted to the tailgate or the back panel, it is conventionally the case that all the components of the window regulator are inserted into the space between an inner panel and an outer panel (exterior panel) of the tailgate or the back panel through a service hole formed on the inner panel. The cable-operated window regulator for the tailgate window or the back window of a vehicle is generally provided with a pair of guide rails which are bilaterally positioned to hold and guide a wide window glass in a direction to raise and lower the window glass. Since the pair of guide rails are relatively long, it is difficult to insert the pair of guide rails into the aforementioned space between the inner panel and the outer panel through the relatively small service hole of the inner panel. Accordingly, facilitating assembly of the cable-operated window regulator is desirable.
As described above, the cable-operated window regulator for a tailgate window or a back window of a vehicle is generally provided with a pair of guide rails which are bilaterally positioned to guide a wide window glass therebetween stably along the pair of guide rails. A winding unit bracket, to which a reversible winding unit including a reversible motor and a winding drum is fixed, is fixed to one of the pair of guide rails. One end and the other end of the window drive cable which is wound around the winding drum are connected to the window glass via upper and lower cable guide members (e.g., pulleys), which are positioned at the upper end of one guide rail and the lower end of the other guide rail, respectively.
In such a cable-operated window regulator for the tailgate window or the back window of a vehicle, it is difficult to ensure stability in the position of the reversible winding unit unless the rigidity of the winding unit bracket is increased because the distance between the pair of guide rails is great, and further because the winding unit bracket is fixed at one end thereof to one of the pair of guide rails to serve a cantilever bracket. Due to this structure, the conventional winding unit bracket is thick and heavy. Nevertheless, such a cantilever bracket cannot ensure a high stability in position of the reversible winding unit even if the thickness of the bracket is increased because the winding unit bracket is fixed at only one end thereof to one of the pair of guide rails.
In addition, in conventional cable-operated window regulators for a tailgate window or a back window of vehicle, the wiring harness for supplying power to the reversible winding unit may interfere with the window glass that moves up and down due to an unstable position of the wiring harness with respect to the reversible winding unit. In such conventional cable-operated window regulators for the tailgate window, it is difficult for the reversible winding unit or the winding unit bracket to be stably positioned by the inner panel of the tailgate because a service hole which is formed on the inner panel is generally large for facilitating assembly, and further because of an insufficient rigidity of the inner panel.